To start, what is WISPAPALOOZA?
WISPAPALOOZA, also known as WISPA, is a 5-day event that brings together the WISP (Wireless Internet Service Providers) world. Industry experts, leading suppliers and customers like you come together to network, learn, engage in demos and become inspired. This year it was hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada and had over 160 Exhibitors showcasing their products and services.

Team members from our global company came to WISPAPALOOZA from all over. Let’s hear their story!

Q: Was this the first time Bicom Systems attended WISPAPALOOZA?
A: No. This was our third WISPA event and second time attending WISPAPALOOZA. WISPA also hosts a tradeshow called ‘WISPAMERICA’ that we also attended this year.

Q: Was this the first time being a Platinum Sponsor?
A: No. We were also a Platinum Sponsor last year.

Q: What did Bicom Systems do at WISPAPALOOZA?
A: This year was a little different for us because we hosted our first ‘User Group Meeting’. We held this on Monday, before the show officially started and had three guest speakers.

Our guests covered topics such as; marketing, user experience, regulatory and compliance and it made our session more appreciated. The speakers generated a lot of conversation and interest from the attendees. The audience became very excited to upgrade to our latest versions once they saw what they were missing.

Q: Are there any awards or prizes given out?
A: Yes. There are 8 categories for awards. Bicom Systems was nominated for “Manufacturer of the Year”. Although we did not win, the WISPA board of directors spoke highly of our impact on the organization.

Q: Did you participate in any information sessions?
A: Yes! There were many information sessions going on during the 5-day trade show. Information sessions are used to share expertise, network and learn more about the topic.

Saulio Reyes (Account Manager) from our team, alongside companies such as Amarillo Wireless, Powercode and Network Business Systems, participated in an information session called ‘Scaling WISP from 0-1500’. It focused on how to scale up business operations and the best practices to do so.

Kevin Langford (Account Manager) also from Bicom Systems, spoke at ‘Starting a WISP 101’. There were 7 other speakers for this session and they analyzed the many considerations that are involved when getting a WISP started. Kevin focused his presentation mainly on not just selling internet and guided the audience into VoIP.

Finally, Kevin (Account Manager) also spoke at ‘WISP’s in the Clouds/UCaas and ‘How WISPs Can Capitalize’. These information sessions reminded customers that they are running a business first and a network second. They were extremely educational and discussed the opportunities companies have to grow their customer base.

Q: When you sponsor WISPA, you receive a keynote speaking slot. How did that go?
A: That is right. When you sponsor WISPAPALOOZA as a Diamond or Platinum sponsor you are given a Vendor Spotlight. On behalf of Bicom Systems, Account Manager Kevin Langford, presented a 1-hour product description Q&A information session. The presentation dissected each product and their many editions. It gave the audience a chance to learn in depth about our current and future products, their newer updates and much more. It was so engaging that everyone who attended the keynote, stopped into our booth afterward to learn more!

Q: Aside from businesses, who attends WISPAPALOOZA?
A: (Kevin Langford): In my experience, you have 4 types of people who attend trade shows like WISPAPALOOZA.
1) Curious customers who are interested in learning about the industry
2) Consumers who want to start a WISP
3) Businesses who are a WISP/ISP
4) ‘Techie’s’ (Tech-i-es: ‘a person who is very knowledgeable or enthusiastic about technology and especially high technology’) – Merriam-Webster

Q: If other businesses and customers were to ask if WISPAPALOOZA was worth attending, what would your advice be?
A: (Kevin Langford): Have a game plan. You cannot be in two places at one time and although the committee tries not to schedule two popular information sessions at the same time, it happens. Research the vendors who are going to be there. Plan your days. Make a schedule.

Thanks for reading and we will see you at the next trade show!

If you are still considering attending WISPAPALOOZA as a vendor, check out this blog post by Minim. The company’s CEO seamlessly breaks down the event and all the dos/don’ts all from a newbies perspective.

If you are interested in learning more about Bicom Systems visit our website here.

Last week we introduced you to the idea of CCaaS and talked about a few reasons the market needs YOU to start selling it. Today we will shift our focus to the direct benefits to your business if you starting selling CCaaS.

In case you missed the last post and introduction (read it here), Contact Center as a Service is an add-on that improves the customer experience for nearly any kind of business. No longer just for contact centers, CCaaS is a simple, cloud-based, feature-rich service that most modern businesses now require. Selling it will increase your revenue and help you build your brand.

You will earn more from contact center customers

The retail price-per-seat for contact centers is nearly double that of a hosted seat. And your customers are willing to pay for it.

Many service providers incorrectly assume that their customers want VoIP for as cheap as possible. This notion is detrimental to both your business and that of your customer. Never forget that your customers and prospects are running businesses and are aware of their need for modern features and tools to achieve continued success.

VoIP is not a commodity. It is an indispensable business tool that has evolved to include new technologies like CCaaS. Your customers are probably just waiting for you to starting offering it.

CCaaS will increase your stickiness

CCaaS reduces customer churn in two ways.

First, as mentioned above, your customers probably already want these features. They may already be looking for them elsewhere. Start meeting that need before someone else does.

Second, anything that stimulates customer interaction and commitment is good for stickiness. CCaaS is one more piece to connect your business and that of your customer. The relationship will deepen and they will be more likely to stick around long-term

Nowadays we are all short on time, so one-stop-shops are very appealing. Your customers will appreciate a company that meets all of their needs with just one monthly bill.

Finally, CCaaS could be your first step into many new markets and niches. Starting with Cloud technology and expanding to UCaaS and other services, the opportunity to expand your business is yours for the taking.

Would you like to start selling CCaaS? Bicom Systems is partnering with ThinQ to create an ideal CCaaS solution.

Cloud-based, built for VoIP, award-winning Toll-Free Least Cost Routing… We are so excited about this partnership that we decided to host a webinar together to tell you all about it.

Adding CCaaS to your telco product line will enable you to meet a pressing demand in today’s market. The communications industry as a whole is moving toward cloud computing and your customers probably need these features and tools. Not to mention the competition is still low.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, what exactly is CCaaS?

Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) is a simplified, cloud-based, feature-rich service that improves customer experience with no hassle.

Despite its name, CCaaS is no longer just for contact centers. CCaaS improves customer service, a key aspect of nearly all businesses.

80% of the market cannot access traditional contact center solutions

80% of the market is comprised of SMBs, a population that has historically been unable to access premise-based Contact Center offerings. As a result they have been missing out on the advantages of Contact Center software such as call monitoring, call analytics, and other daily business operations.

This all changes with cloud-based Contact Center as a Service. Feature-rich, easy-to-use, and affordable, CCaaS products level the playing field for small and medium businesses.

Your customers are realizing they need contact center features

Selling CCaaS will not only bring you new customers, but also more business from your existing customers. Whether they realize it or not, most of your customers or prospects do have some form of contact center need.

For example, a small business with inbound order taking. CCaaS can automate the order process. Or any company with customer service. CCaaS improves customer interactions and opens up more options for communication.

The whole comms industry is moving toward the Cloud

The overall trend is toward the cloud and we recommend jumping aboard before the ship sails. The global Cloud PBX market, for example, is expected to double in value by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 14.9%.

The cloud brings sought-after features and flexibility that the market has come to expect. Cloud-based CCaaS follows suit with features, scalability, and ease-of-use.

The competition is still low

According to the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CCaaS in North America, there are only ten CCaaS solutions on the North American market today.

In such a rapidly growing industry this space will surely fill up quickly. Seize the opportunity while the competition is still so low.